Rollercoasters...

...more figurative than literal...
That was our weekend.
On Friday, Noah was so happy because Tom was coming to visit us on Saturday. We made friends with the contact person from an organization called Balding for Dollars, and learned about a good deal we could get at a Go-Karting place in Richmond. (The cars can go 70km/hr! I think my cousin told me about it earlier this summer - right Dayton and Debbie?) Anyway, Noah was pumped because Tom would love to do something like that with him. Then we got back to RMH and found out that someone had dropped off some tickets to the Canucks game on Saturday night worth $185!! Since there was only one pair, they decided to have a draw; everyone who wanted to go had to put their names in a jar and the weekend manager would draw the next morning to see who was going. Noah couldn't wait.(up...up...up...) Connie, the director, told us that Noah and I could each put our names in 4 times. So he quickly went about getting 8 pieces of paper and neatly printing our names on them. The whole time he was talking about how Tom had never been to a Canucks game and that it would be so cool to sit so close to the ice, and how much Tom was going to love it. That evening Tom called to tell us that even though he had a buddy pass, he wasn't likely to make the flight - there was only one seat left, and he was second in line for that seat. A buddy pass is essentially a standby ticket, so there is no guarantee you'll get on the flight.  (...and down...)
Noah had the bright idea of buying a set of Quick Tickets from Hawk Air. It is kind of like a book of 10 tickets that if you put a deposit down, you get a guaranteed price of $229 one way. It's about half price. We thought if we quickly did that, Tom would be guaranteed to get on,and it wouldn't cost $1200 for a return flight, so I called Hawk Air to set it up. (Going up again....)
While I was talking to the agent, someone booked the last seat. There was no way Tom could get on the flight and he didn't think it would be worth all the work to come for just Sunday and Monday, so that was that. (Back down... wayyyy down...) Of course, this had to happen on the day Noah went back on Dex. He was so upset. He had all these plans, and compared to Dad, I am boring. Don't worry, I am not offended - it's true, lol!
But, (going up again...) he had been talking to another kid about the draw and learned that we were the only ones who were told to put their names in so many times. He did think it was a little unfair, but, since it was to our advantage, he could live with it! We had a good chance of winning those tickets and he couldn't wait until the draw.
I think you can probably guess what happened. He didn't win. (down...) but it was worse than that, he kinda went picking through the jar to see who else had entered and his name wasn't in there at all. And my name was only there once. (down and twist...) Someone had tampered with the draw. The person who had drawn said that she took out a slip that she thought might have had his name on it AFTER the draw to write down a phone message. He doesn't really believe her, but, what to do?
He was totally bummed. And he couldn't let it go. I tried to talk to him about how maybe the person who took our names out was probably trying to make it more fair, but he thought it was just sabotaged. He stayed down in that spot for most of the day, even after I got an email from the Starlight Foundation, an organization we just made contact with who sends us "daybrighteners" - deals to certain activities, tickets to events, etc. We haven't seen many things we were interested in, but this email said that a bunch of tickets to Sunday's Canucks game had been given to them and if you wanted a pair, reply by noon, and they would let you know by 8 if you were fortunate enough to get them. He wasn't hopeful, and he was a bit cynical. (gee, I wonder where he gets that from???) BUT (going up... ) we were successful!  We had no idea where the seats were, but it didn't matter. He decided to take my Uncle Ken to the game. We thought he would appreciate it more than I would, and besides, I already went to a game this week!  ; P

 Fast forward to yesterday afternoon... after church we went to the mall (I needed a new nose ring - I keep losing them, grrr) and on the way back to RMH Noah was holding my phone when we received a text from Dan Hamhuis.  It was so cute, as he was reading his voice just got louder and louder, "Hi Stacey, it's Dan.  Sarah told me you guys are coming to the game tonight. Would Noah be interestED IN COMING DOWN TO THE DRESSING ROOM FOR A BIT DURING THE GAME?"  (Up like a rocket!!!) He was so excited he could hardly speak!!!  It was all he could do to text back, " Hi Dan, it is Noah. I would be thrilled to"  He just smiled for the rest of the day.  I could tell he was just bursting. 
Uncle Ken and Aunt Helene came to get us at RMH, then Aunty Helene and I dropped them off to pick up their tickets. It turns out the tickets were awesome! They were 21 rows up from the blue line. Thank you Starlight Foundation!
They agreed to meet with Dan at the beginning of the second period. He gave them directions on how to get down to the secure area, then brought Noah into the dressing room. He showed Noah the place where they work out, the place they watch games, the actual dressing room, where they fix their sticks and skates, etc. There were some other Canuck players in there and some of them shook his hand and said hi, but the one he was most excited about was Alex Burrows. He not only said hi and talked to Noah, he took him over to the stick rack and signed one of his used sticks and gave it to Noah!  He spent almost the entire 2nd period in there.  He just keeps saying, "My friends are gonna be so jealous!" and "I can't believe that actually happened!" Thank you Dan, you really lifted his spirits!  He is also never going to drink that water - he is keeping that bottle forever (because it is from the lounge in the dressing room)!  And he kept his Canucks jersey on for over two hours after the game....
I am trying to get him to write down every detail of what happened because it will be such a cool thing to read in a few years. He would prefer to dictate it to me while I type, but I think it will be so much better if it is in his own handwriting, with his own spelling mistakes. (That actually caused a bit of a dip in the roller coaster track, lol....)
We were talking about the wish thing with someone (Noah gets a wish from the Children's Wish Foundation) and he realized that what he got to do last night is what some kids wish for!  He is very thankful and amazed. 

                                                                   photo credits: Dan Hamhuis and Ken Vanderveen

We are in Abbotsford for a few days for a change of scenery, since Noah doesn't need to be at the clinic until Friday.  We are only here just in case he needs a transfusion; if he does, he would rather it happen here than in Smithers. No offense to the nurses in Smithers, but he is more comfortable with the nurses here - they are better at accessing his VAD, since they do it everyday.  In Smithers, the nurse who did it was clearly nervous and didn't do it the same way, which in turn made Noah nervous.  Maybe it is silly to stay just for that, but I would rather not increase his anxiety. He is generally feeling ok, but he is very tired.  His face is starting to get a little puffy again, but hopefully it won't be as puffy as last time.  He only needs to be on the Dex for 4 more days.  We'll see. Also he still isn't losing his hair!  If you pull on it a few hairs come loose, but it isn't falling out as far as I can see.  I told him this probably bodes well for his future; if a lot of chemo won't make his hair fall out, what's a little aging?
We are very thankful for how he is doing and feeling. I was worried about this round, but God has seen him through it all AGAIN.  He is so good.  All the time. (more on that another time...I'm ruminating on something...)